First, assume that a CES is composed of \(n\)  interacting artifacts where each artifact \(i \in \lbrace 1,\ldots ,n\rbrace \) . The \(n\)  artifacts interact with one another in a technical network generated from a scale-free degree distribution via a Holme-Kim preferential attachment algorithm by adding \(h\)  edges to each new node \(i\) . The probability that the first edge connecting node \(i\)  to the network will attach to a specific node \(j\)  is proportional to that node's degree \(k_j\) ; the probability that subsequently-added edges will be placed to form a triangle by connecting \(i\)  to a node \(l\)  that is already connected to \(j\)  is \(p_t\)  [1]}. The result is a network of \(n\)  interacting artifacts described by adjacency matrix \(A_{ij}\) , in this case with no formal hierarchy and clustering specified by \(p_t\) . Generally, artifacts could also interact with nodes outside the system boundary. The base instance assumes that the system boundary contains all factors with sufficient impact on the CES leaving no exogenous variables, and hence no interaction between the CES and its context.
